LeBron James might be headed back to Miami. Or he might not. But one of the loudest voices arguing he will has a conflict that’s hard to ignore.
ESPN’s Max Kellerman said this week he can see James signing with the Heat. He laid out a pretty specific vision too. Kellerman pointed to Miami’s defense, mentioning Davion Mitchell, Andrew Wiggins, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo as potential starters around the 41-year-old James. His logic: the Heat would be so tough to score on that James could conserve energy for crunch time, kind of like how stars in the 80s picked their defensive spots.
“It’s going to be very hard to score on that team,” Kellerman said on his podcast. “Given LeBron’s age, it’s kind of what he needs.”
The problem? Kellerman’s co-host on that show is Rich Paul, James’ longtime agent. They’ve talked extensively about James’ free agency. That relationship has already drawn criticism. NBC Sports’ Austin Rivers called Paul out back in January, saying the agent should stay in the background rather than being front and center in the media.
None of this means Kellerman is wrong about James joining Miami. The Heat, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers are reportedly the three teams still in play. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has said Cleveland is basically out, leaving Miami and Philly as the real options.
James won two titles in Miami in 2012 and 2013. He left on bad terms, with tension building between him and Heat president Pat Riley. But those two have reportedly patched things up. That changed the perception around a possible reunion.
The Heat also have a need on the wing after losing Norman Powell. They have a defensive identity that could fit an older James. And Miami’s front office has shown it will do whatever it takes to land stars.
Kellerman’s prediction might turn out to be right. But when the guy making the argument shares a microphone with the player’s agent, it’s fair to ask if we’re getting analysis or something closer to a soft pitch.
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